Murabutide is a safe synthetic immunomodulator derived from muramyl dipeptide (MDP), the smallest bioactive unit of bacterial peptidoglycan. In contrast to MDP, murabutide is devoid of pyrogenic activity [1] and lacks somnogenic activity [2].
Murabutide has the capacity to synergize with selected therapeutic cytokines to drive the release of Th1 cytokines. Murabutide has been found to suppress human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) replication, in macrophages, through a regulated expression of cellular factors needed at different steps in the virus replication cycle [3]. Murabutide does not transduce the signal through TLR2 nor TLR4 [4].
It appears to be recognized by the intracellular receptor NOD2. Murabutide induced the activation of NF-κB in HEK-Blue™ NOD2 cells, but no NF-κB was detectable in HEK-Blue™ TLR cells.
References:
- Chedid LA. et al., 1982. Biological activity of a new synthetic muramyl peptide adjuvant devoid of pyrogenicity. Infect Immun. 35(2):417-24.
- Krueger JM. et al., 1984. Muramyl peptides. Variation of somnogenic activity with structure. J Exp Med. 159(1):68-76.
- Darcissac EC. et al., 2000. The synthetic immunomodulator murabutide controls human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication at multiple levels in macrophages and dendritic cells. J Virol. 74(17):7794-802.
- Vidal VF. et al., 2001. Macrophage stimulation with Murabutide, an HIV-suppressive muramyl peptide derivative, selectively activates extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, C/EBPbeta and STAT1: role of CD14 and Toll-like receptors 2 and 4. Eur J Immunol. 31(7):1962-71.
